In that period the Blues conceded two goals, had skipper John Terry sent off and Ramires booked, which ensured neither would play in the Champions League Final on May 19.

Barca’s first came in the 35th minute. Dani Alves controlled a clearance 25 yards out beautifully, then advanced towards goal and picked out Isaac Cuenca to his left.

The winger thrust to the byline and cut the ball back across goal and Sergio Busquets was there to sweep it in.

Then came disaster two minutes later. Terry mindlessly kneed Sanchez in the back and the Chilean striker went down.

Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir had no hesitation in showing Terry the red card and even the Chelsea No. 26’s best

mate Frank Lampard looked appalled by what his skipper had done.

It was Terry’s first red card for two years, his previous one in a 2-1 defeat at Spurs.

With Terry off the field the Blues were carved open in the 44th minute. Sanchez rolled the ball to Lionel Messi, who spotted Andres Iniesta overlapping to his left.

His pass was weighted perfectly for his team-mate to control with his left foot and stroke across Petr Cech with his right foot into the far corner.

Ramires, who was booked for dissent after moaning that Barca’s second goal was offside, struck in first-half stoppage-time and his goal was a thing of beauty.

Dashing 60 yards from the right-back position, where he was switched following Terry’s dismissal, he flew past Lampard who picked him out with a rolled pass which was even better than Messi’s just before.

Cutting in, keeper Victor Valdes came out to narrow the angle, but Ramires produced some Brazilian magic to chip over his head with backspin, with the ball plopping into the net.

It put Chelsea on course for the final on away goals but they looked to be in trouble in the 48th minute was Didier Drogba tripped Cesc Fabregas in the box.

But Messi, who had not scored in seven previous game with Chelsea, sent his penalty against the bar.

Branislav Ivanovic was booked for complaining about the award, meaning he was out of the final, along with Terry, Ramires and Raul Meireles who was booked late on.

But the 10-men of Chelsea defended heroically.

Sanchez had a late goal ruled out for offside and Messi hit a post in the closing minutes before substitute Fernando Torres, on for Drogba, grabbed a last-gasp breakaway goal to give Chelsea a 3-2 aggregate win when he broke clear, and rounded Valdes.

Chelsea had started much more brightly in the Nou Camp than they did in their 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge a week ago. Ashley Cole almost put in Ramires with just 15 seconds gone after a lightning left-wing raid.

Messi should have done better in the third minute but shot into the side netting with his weaker right foot after Sanchez slipped the ball to him. There was a major scare for Chelsea in the sixth minute when Gary Cahill did the splits covering Sanchez.

He tried to carry on but had to come off in the 12th minute and Jose Bosingwa came on.

In the 16th minute when Valdes smashed into the back of Gerard Pique and Drogba as the two chased after a punt from Cech.

Pique caught a blow to his head, but was able to continue after a strong dose of smelling salts. Cech was at his best in the 20th minute, keeping out Messi with his left leg after the Argentine ace played a super one-two with Fabregas, who set him up with a backflick.

Drogba managed a hooked right-foot shot over the bar in the 23rd minute, then two minutes later burst past Pique after controlling another long kick from Cech but could only sidefoot into the side netting from a tight angle.

Not surprisingly Pique was taken off, with Dani Alves replacing him.

Cech’s precision kicking, sending the ball about 70 yards downfield to Drogba, was Chelsea’s main threat.

But Drogba almost did something amazing, shooting from near the touchline on halfway in the 59th minute and forcing Valdes into a save down to his left.